New Insights into Biliverdin Reductase Functions: Linking Heme Metabolism to Cell Signaling

Abstract

Biliverdin reductase (BVR) functions in cell signaling through three distinct tracks: a dual-specificity kinase that functions in the insulin receptor/MAPK pathways ( 25 , 29 , 51 ); a bzip-type transcription factor for ATF-2/CREB and HO-1 regulation ( 1 , 25 ); and a reductase that catalyzes the conversion of biliverdin to bilirubin ( 27 ). These, together with the protein’s primary and secondary features, intimately link BVR to the entire spectrum of cell-signaling cascades.